He walked from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard, as if traversing a long lifetime.

At three, he learned to read and recite poetry; by ten, he was already well-versed in the classics of the sages. At fourteen, he entered Yunlu Academy to study. At eighteen, he became a successful candidate in the imperial examination.

To say he was exceptionally gifted would not be an exaggeration.

His intelligence and vast knowledge shaped his proud character.

In front of his family, he had always been proud, accomplished, admired—a pillar of the Xu family’s future.

As a man of seven feet, he would rather die gloriously than live in humiliation.

Thinking of this, William Bennett drained the wine flask in his hand and smashed it forcefully on the ground.

Fueled by the wine, he rushed into the room, ground ink, picked up the brush, and wrote the most magnificent farewell poem of his life.

William Bennett laughed loudly three times, grabbed the xuan paper, dashed out the door, took out the prepared hemp rope, and hung it on the ginkgo tree in the inner courtyard.

He was surprised that, facing death, he felt no fear at all—only an unprecedented sense of freedom.

Suddenly, he somewhat understood those unrestrained, rebellious scholars: only by being fearless can one look down upon the world with pride.

If he was not afraid of death, what else in this world was worth fearing?

......

The capital was prosperous, renowned as the greatest city under heaven.

Andrew Bennett moved slowly through the bustling ancient city, with carriages flowing like water and horses like dragons. Shops lined both sides, banners and flags fluttering fiercely in the wind.

A line of poetry surfaced in his mind: “Willows in the mist, painted bridges, wind-blown curtains, emerald screens, and tens of thousands of homes in uneven rows.”

In fact, the capital was even more prosperous than Qiantang described in the poem. According to “Great Feng: Geography Records,” “In the early Yuanjing era, the capital’s population exceeded 1.96 million.”

Now it was the 36th year of Yuanjing.

The capital’s population should have surpassed two million by now.

The Xu family mansion had three courtyards in succession, once employing seven or eight maids and servants. Now, the servants and maids had long been dismissed, the main gate tightly locked, the place deserted.

Aunt looked at the plaque above the main gate, her feelings mixed: “I wonder how Nian’er is doing. He must be very worried about us. This child said before he was imprisoned that he would definitely get us out.”

She spoke as she walked inside.

Housing prices in the capital were high; this three-courtyard mansion would cost at least two taels of silver. A thirty percent down payment would be one tael of silver... Tch, why am I still thinking about housing prices after coming to another world?

Andrew Bennett grinned.

Peter Bennett comforted her: “Nian’er is well-read and steady. He must still be working hard for us. When he returns, let’s give him a surprise.”

Crap... Andrew Bennett’s expression changed. He knew that William Bennett was planning to end his own life.

In Second Uncle and Aunt’s eyes, Thomas Bennett was resolute, taciturn, steady, and a tenacious scholar.

“Hahahaha, I, William Bennett, live as a free spirit and die as a proud ghost.”

“William Bennett, so talented, yet the heavens are unjust.”

“If the heavens had not given birth to me, William Bennett, Great Feng would be shrouded in darkness for all eternity...”

Beneath the ginkgo tree, the scholar standing on the chair suddenly took off his hair crown and tossed it aside, shaking his head vigorously, letting his hair fall loose.

He was wild and unrestrained, rebellious and free-spirited. He put his head into the noose, only to see his family, their faces stiff and eyes vacant.

I, William Bennett, love freedom with wild abandon... William Bennett is talented, yet the heavens are unjust... If the heavens had not given birth to me, William Bennett, Great Feng would be shrouded in darkness for all eternity... William Bennett looked at his family, who had unexpectedly returned, and felt that he was just a step too late in dying.

Chapter 8: Girl, why are you peeking at your brother?

In the silent air, Aunt was the first to react, letting out a piercing scream: “Nian’er...”

The couple worked together to save their precious son, who had no will to live. Aunt hugged her son and wept bitterly. Second Uncle stood to the side, sighing deeply.

Andrew Bennett looked at his cousin, whose soul had nowhere to rest, and understood completely.

The three most embarrassing situations for a young man: being caught by your parents while doing a slow-motion move with your left and right hands; being overheard commenting on a female teacher’s big butt; having your cringey self-insert novel exposed to the public.

Any one of these could make a person want to die of shame.

He didn’t manage to die physically, but he achieved social death.

I’m trained for this, no matter how funny, I won’t laugh... Andrew Bennett started “kukuku” on the side.

Lucy Bennett turned her head and gave her big brother a reproachful glare, silently accusing him of gloating. Lillian Bennett had wanted to ask her brother for candy, but seeing this scene, she didn’t dare.

William Bennett, worthy of being a scholar, was quick-witted. He immediately rolled his eyes, kicked his legs, and fainted.

....

In Andrew Bennett’s small courtyard, inside the side room, he took off his clothes and soaked himself in a large wooden tub. The icy water seeped into his pores, making his whole body feel refreshed.

With a body at the peak of refining essence, his cold resistance was excellent.

The greatest advantage of a martial artist was being tough and durable.

Having escaped a life-and-death crisis, he could finally settle down and ponder some philosophical questions about life.

“Why are there no memories of the original host’s death or coma?”

Andrew Bennett clearly remembered how he died—it was likely alcohol poisoning. But the original host seemed to have no such memory.

As for Andrew Bennett himself, the cause of death was alcohol poisoning, which happened because he got promoted and got a raise, and drank too much in celebration.

After resigning from the police station, he chose to start a business, but in the second year, he was beaten down by society, learned his lesson, and started again from the bottom.